


From Teacher and Student

by Jeiidaan, rynoa29



Series: Parallel Universe [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Age Difference, Dino tries to deny his attraction to the uncute brat, Hibari is an uncute brat, Italian Mafia, M/M, Minor Violence, Unresolved Sexual Tension, the Cavallone Family has ship wars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-07 09:24:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1118233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeiidaan/pseuds/Jeiidaan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rynoa29/pseuds/rynoa29
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dino never expected to fall head over heels in love with his bratty, uncute student. </p><p>A how-D18-got-together story. Takes places before A Different Choice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Punch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello new and old readers alike. As the summary states, this story deals with how Hibari and Dino got together. Though it can be read as a standalone, we recommend any new readers to eventually check out our other fic, A Different Choice, which takes place several months after the end of this story. For those of you who are coming back, I'm sure you are aware of our usual posting schedule. However, this fic will be somewhat irregularly updated in order to keep with the chronological order of the oneshots we are currently posting.
> 
> You're in for quite a long and bloody ride. We hope you enjoy! Please don't forget to review!

A crack filled the air on the roof of Namimori Middle as Hibari sidestepped another blow from the leather whip. He rushed forward, pulling back a tonfa and swinging it forward, aiming straight for Dino's jaw. He was already pulling his other hand back for a follow-up attack because, as he expected, Dino dodged. He always dodged.

Hibari rushed forward again, keeping close. He kept moving, never still, and swung his tonfa, attack after attack, doing his best not to let Dino use his whip because he'd gotten enough of it.

Dino grinned slightly at his student's tactics. The boy was a relentless monster, but he was an obvious one, especially once he was beginning to wear down. They had been at this for a couple hours now without a single break. Dino found it easy to see the other's patterns now.

"Don't let your temper get the better of you, Kyouya," Dino advised as he dodged the next few blows. "You're leaving openings in your stance," he informed him as he sidestepped to the left and let his whip lash out towards the other's side.

Hibari winced at the pain that burst in his side. It only served to fuel his rage. He rushed at Dino, not listening to his words or his advice, wanting only to fight and to attack this strong and infuriating person.

Dino sighed slightly at the other's lack of reaction. This wasn't going to work unless he got more serious. "Come on, use your head a little!" The blonde ducked the next blow and loosened his two-handed hold on his whip before flicking his left wrist forward. His whip moved to loop around his student's knees and Dino grabbed hold of the returning strap of leather before pulling.

Hibari toppled backwards though he continued tipping back, landing on his hands and flipping back up to his feet. He held his tonfa up and glared at Dino. "Stop telling me what to do."

Dino grinned slightly as he pulled his whip taut before him. "Until you manage to beat me, I won't stop drilling these lessons onto you." Dino let his whip fly off towards the other once more.

Hibari saw the whip coming at him, and in a split second, he ducked his head, just enough to dodge the blow. He frowned slightly, wasting a single moment of regret in remembering to 'use his head.' He rushed forward again, a bit more wary of his arms as he did.

 _That's better,_  Dino smiled slightly to himself as he returned to his dance of dodging. Kyouya's attack patterns were already improving. It seemed like the trick was to continuously cool the other's temper down.

 _He needs to learn not to lose it in the first place…_ Dino thought as he dodged the blow aimed for his jaw. He twirled on his feet and let his whip crack lightly against the other's back before stepping away, out of the other's range.

Hibari fought relentlessly, not letting up. But it seemed that right when it was getting to be too rushed, Dino flung out his whip and caught Hibari's back. He growled and glared at him. "Stop that."

"Stop what?" Dino teased slightly, quirking an amused eyebrow at the demand.

"You're playing." Hibari's narrowed as he stared at Dino's hands. He lowered his tonfa and directed his glare to Dino's face, insult and anger lacing his tone when he spoke. "You're not fighting seriously. How am I supposed to beat you and make you leave me alone if you don't fight me?"

Dino gave the other an incredulous look. "You're gonna have to do better if you want to see me go all out. Anyway, you're my student, not my enemy. I'm not planning on injuring you more than necessary," he reminded him.

Hibari scowled. "You don't think I can handle it?" He gripped his tonfa again, the fury rising at being called weak. Well, if Dino wouldn't pay attention to his words, Hibari would make sure he paid attention to his actions. "I'll bite you to death," he muttered lowly, before rushing forward at a quicker speed, his movements fueled by rage.  _Fight me_ , his body said.  _FIGHT ME._

 _Oh, brother..._ Dino sighed internally and doubled up his speed as he began to dodge the reenergized flurry of attacks. So much for keeping the others temper in check. Though Dino had to admit it was kinda funny to see the other so quick to anger.  _He reminds me of a stray cat,_ Dino thought as a small amused smile began to stretch over his lips. The image seemed to fit with the prefect perfectly. The sixteen-year-old was so defensive and proud, and he had the agility and ferocity of a feline.

Hibari growled. The blonde was just dodging again. And no matter how much Hibari pushed himself, he just couldn't hit him. If he swung right, Dino stepped to the left. Hibari swung his tonfa after him, and Dino leaned just out of reach. The most infuriating thing was that Dino wasn't even trying. Hibari could see the relaxed muscles and the loose grip on his whip that he used when Dino really had no intention of wielding it. Hibari narrowed his eyes. "Stop smiling," he growled lowly, aiming a kick to Dino's jaw.

Dino dodged once more and stuck out his tongue in the direction of the prefect. "Make me!" he teased.

Anger flared up in Hibari, stronger than before. "I'll make you eat the concrete," he snarled, and rushed up, trying to get close and in his face where it would be harder to dodge.

Dino wondered for the second time today if he should let the other run out of steam or not. Though this has been going on for hours already, it didn't look like the prefect would be tiring soon. He was the type to push his body past his limits after all.

With a sigh, the blonde finally relented and let the other land a blow on his face before quickly moving to grip the prefect's forearms. "There. Satisfied?" he asked, tilting his head. He was already regretting letting the blow hit him. If he had allowed the other to hit him at full strength, Dino would have probably passed out.

Hibari narrowed his eyes and looked at the hands grabbing his arms. He gave a couple tugs but found the blonde's grip to be extremely firm. "No." He spoke truthfully, aiming a glare straight into Dino's eyes.

Dino grinned slightly at the candid response. "Well, I'm afraid that's all for today though." He shrugged lightly, looking amused. "We can continue tomorrow, so why don't you let Romario take care of your injuries before you head on home, hmm?"

Hibari glared at Dino before glancing over towards the older man waiting at the sidelines. He looked back at the blonde. "Is he a doctor?"

Dino blinked at the question. "Hmm, well, he's as good as one, I guess." He chuckled slightly.

Hibari frowned. "Forget it. I'll deal with my own injuries," he said, giving his arms another tug. "Let go of me."

Dino frowned worriedly and didn't let go. "Hey, don't take your body lightly. Just because I was holding back, doesn't mean you should ignore your injuries."

"Who said I was ignoring them?" Hibari growled. "I said I'll deal with them on my own." This infuriating man. Who was he to question him so much?

Dino's frown deepened but he finally let go of the other, making sure to step back well out of the range of his student's tonfa. He sighed then, running a hand through his hair as he looked down at the prefect. "Alright, fine. But you better take good care of yourself, Kyouya. Or I won't fight with you tomorrow."

Hibari let his arms fall to his sides and narrowed his eyes at Dino. "Hmmph." He shot a glare at Romario as well before walking past Dino, towards the door leading off the roof. Hibari didn't have to be told to take care of himself. But at the same time, he knew that this man was strong. The prospect of fighting him again made Hibari's arms tingle. Well, fighting him, period. So far, all the blonde had done was dodge.

Hibari found himself thinking of what he could do with that whip as he walked home.


	2. A Clash of Wills

The next couple of days proceeded in a similar manner. Dino and Romario met Kyouya at the school rooftop every day after school. Sometimes they would be joined by another student by the name of Kusakabe Tetsuya, whom Dino inferred was the prefect's right-hand man. Dino didn't take much notice of him though; he was too preoccupied by the task of training his student.

Kyouya was not an easy person to communicate with. The prefect was stubborn, taciturn and violent. He refused to listen to most of the things Dino said, or at least he pretended to ignore him for the majority of the time. With his tireless stamina and sheer willpower, Dino had a lot to put up with, and the two of them often ended their days with sore muscles and a multitude of bruises.

Dino had to admit that he was surprised at how much his student had improved in just a couple days' worth of sparring sessions. However, the prefect still had a long way to go if he wanted to be ready to fight the Varia.

Those fights were not going to be easy.

Not for the first time, Dino felt frustrated that he was unable to help the Vongola in a more direct manner. It was pointless to continue to begrudge his position however, so Dino put the issue off his mind and focused on the task at hand.

"So, Kyouya," Dino said after pushing open the door of the prefect's office. He leaned against the doorway, smiling in the direction of the black-haired sixteen-year-old. "You ready to listen to me yet about that ring?"

Hibari looked up from the papers on his desk the moment he heard the door open. However, once he saw who it was, he looked right back down at his work. "No," he said simply. It was the truth. He had no interest in the ring on his finger, or what it represented. And frankly, he didn't like to listen to the blonde talk. He'd much rather hear the man hiss or cry out in pain.

Dino let out a quiet huff at the expected response.

"What a surprise," the blonde muttered to himself. "It seems that no matter how many times I say it, it still doesn't get through your head." He sighed, but after straightening up, Dino approached the prefect and leaned over the desk, putting his hands over the papers the teenager was looking over.

"Listen up, Kyouya. These upcoming battles are important. I know you have no interest in them personally, but your opponent will be a strong one, and you have to prepare for that. Reborn sent me here to explain all of this to you, so try to make this easy for me, won't you?"

Hibari's grip on his pen tightened when Dino's hands covered his work. His eyes narrowed and he made a point to tune out the words coming from Dino's mouth. Now, especially, he had no interest in them. He only wanted to kill this man. So he lifted up his pen, aimed, and stabbed downward towards the back of Dino's awaiting hand.

"Oh, shit-!" Dino jumped back wide-eyed and pulled his hand to his chest just in time. "Are you insane!?" he blurted out, and then glanced back to shoot his right-hand man a short glare after hearing him snicker at his predicament.

Hibari stopped the pen before it made an ink blot on the paper he was working on. He shot a glare at Dino, a clear warning. "Don't get in the way of my work," he growled before looking back down at the paper and scribbling down a few words. He was now ignoring Dino with a more stubborn drive.

Dino stared at the teen before him incredulously before letting his hand drop at his side as he shook his head. This kid was so difficult! "Ah, geez…"  _Dammit, Reborn! This is just another one of your demonic tests, isn't it?!_ Dino huffed quietly, but he tried not to let it get to him. He stared at the prefect for a moment then, wondering how to get his attention. It was clear that the other was set on ignoring him. He knew better than to directly get in the way of the teen's work now, so there wasn't much he could do except keep running his mouth.

"So…" Dino let the word drag over his tongue for a moment. His lips pursed. "You gonna be done any time soon? I thought you'd be more eager to get back to training."

Training. Hibari paused his writing at that word and it seemed to pierce his facade. Slowly, he placed the pen back on the paper and finished the sentence he was writing. "I am." He looked at the blonde. "But all you want to do is talk. If we're going to fight, then I'll go."

 _What an insatiable battle maniac,_  Dino thought, not for the first time, as he resisted the urge to grimace. "Alright then, let's go," he said with a conciliating smile. "But since we're going to do this as usual, how about we change up the stakes? If you can beat me today, I'll stop bothering you about the ring. But if I win, you'll finally pay attention and listen to what I'm trying to say."

Hibari tilted his head and stared at Dino for a moment. A slow smirk pulled at his lips and he finally placed down his pen. "Fine. Let's go." Hibari stood up and headed for the door, but the moment he passed Dino, he whirled around, aiming a high kick to his head.

"Crap!" Dino hissed. He only barely managed to block the blow. He dodged back and brought up his arm, but he couldn't help but to wince in pain as the kid's leg made contact. His left arm throbbed, and he was overcome by a surge of embarrassment for having left his guard down. "Sheesh, save it for the roof, why don't you," he muttered as he pushed the limb away. He placed his hand on his whip and stared the other down, his eyes set into a challenge. "Unless you want your office to become wreck, I suggest you start walking, Kyouya."

The familiar name caused no annoyance in him this time as Hibari was only interested in the quick way the man had blocked his kick, or attempted to. The blow that struck caused a pleasant shockwave to run up the muscles of his leg. The name the blond uttered was of little importance to him now.

Hibari's smirk widened significantly the moment Dino touched his whip. He loved the sight of the unconventional weapon. Though he had found it stupid at first, the way Dino used it was just magnificent and was a testament to the man's strength. But he definitely didn't want his office to become a wreck. All he had wanted to do was land a single blow. He didn't care if it was a dirty trick, Dino should have been on guard. Without bothering to respond, Hibari turned right around and strode out of his office with an air of confidence that was only fueled by Dino's embarrassment and pain.

Romario couldn't hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Romario…" Dino grumbled as he passed his right-hand man and moved to follow Kyouya.

"You got to admit the kid's got spunk, boss."

"Spunk, right… I'll tell you what else he has. An attitude problem."

"You weren't exactly an angel either when you were that age, young master," Romario reminded the blonde in a quiet, teasing tone.

"Romario!" Dino groaned. "I told you not to call me that anymore!"

"Haha, yes, boss…"

The three of them made their way to the roof. Dino cautiously watched the prefect as he followed after him, not wanting to be caught off guard again. He waited until the other was facing him before pulling his whip taut before him. His expression settled into a serious, calculating frown. He wasn't going to go easy on the kid today.

"Come," he said.

Hibari listened to Romario and Dino's conversation with little interest. Instead, he discreetly glanced over his shoulder and watched Dino, the way he walked, the way he held the whip. It was all important for the upcoming fight. Once they got to the roof, Hibari took his tonfa out from his jacket and slipped into stance, watching Dino do the same. The sound of the leather tightening made Hibari's blood rush with adrenaline. He surged forward without a word and aimed his tonfa at the man's head, knowing it would be blocked or dodged. But with Dino, Hibari never went with the killing blow first.

Sure enough, Dino dodged back, and he kept up this dance for a few of minutes. Every time Kyouya aimed a hit, Dino avoided it. The only hits that made contact were easily blocked by his whip. As the battle continued on, Dino took notice of Kyouya's movements, noting the improvement in his pace and footwork. As much as the other pretended not to listen to his advice, there was a noticeable difference in the prefect's battle tactics, and Dino took pride in seeing them. Of course, the blonde wasn't arrogant to believe that was all thanks to him. There was no doubt that Kyouya's battle-honed instincts also had a large hand in this improvement. Nevertheless, Dino couldn't help but to smile.

Hibari moved easily, falling into the pace of a familiar opponent. His blows were quick and accurate, and his footwork followed Dino without a stumble. It was almost like a dance. A violent waltz. Hibari managed to keep his cool as they warmed up. However, when he caught Dino's smile, he growled.

"What are you smiling at?"

Was that man not taking this seriously? Did he think Hibari was a joke? A child? Weak? Hibari picked up his pace, determined to show the blonde that he was serious about this. He wanted to kill him and he was only training with him to get better enough to do it.

Dino felt a little sheepish for being caught, but his smile didn't diminish; it widened. "Heh, it's a secret," he said in reply, winking. "I might tell you if you beat me…" He let the statement hang for a moment, chuckling as he avoided a particularly violent blow. "But don't get your hopes up. We already made a wager, and it's one I don't intend on losing." And with that, Dino began his counter attack. His teasing grin melted back into a more serious, intense expression. He didn't let Kyouya breathe for a second, pushing him back blow by blow.

Hibari's anger spiked. That man was toying with him! The prefect let out an audible snarl and pushed himself into the fight, concentrating harder and making his movements sharper. "If you don't talk," he threatened between blows, "then I'll make you scream." He aimed a tonfa at his stomach in a feint. He paused before it hit the flesh and turned to thrust his knee into Dino's side.

Dino grunted, and then lifted his lips into a pained smile. He looked impressed. "Not bad," he breathed. He jumped back and aimed his whip at his student's side. "Hope you don't mind me evening out the tables."

Hibari's small victory didn't last long as Dino's whip shot out at him. That whip was too long. Stepping back wasn't an option and stepping to the side only delayed the inevitable. Hibari positioned his tonfa to attempt taking the brunt of the blow. It snapped over his arm and hit his side as well, but the strike had been successfully diverted. Judging by the strength, he probably would have lost his wind if it had gone undefended. Hibari's heart jolted in excitement. His lips twisted into a vicious, sharp grin as he quickly turned his arm in a short circle, wrapping the whip around his wrist. Hibari surged forward again, now using his free tonfa to aim for Dino's face as he held the whip end tightly.

Dino pulled on his whip, making sure not to give Kyouya any leeway to continue wrapping the leather around his wrist as the prefect lunged forward. He sidestepped the upcoming blow, narrowly avoiding it, and the moment he saw the tonfa slide down through the air, Dino quickly moved to step behind the other and pulled the whip back, until the straining leather was pressed taut against the prefect's neck.

"Nice try, kid." Dino chuckled lowly into his ear.

Hibari growled, his arm trembling as he fought against the pull of the whip as it tugged it closer to his body. The whip was wrapped too tightly to unravel and it was biting into his skin, already cutting off circulation. The leather at his neck gave him the angle at which Dino was standing and, with a quick mental picture, Hibari turned towards the whip and threw his tonfa, point first, right at Dino's stomach. He didn't waste a moment and chased after it, aiming a punch to his face.

Dino had been expecting something of the sort, but the expectation didn't help him avoid much of the upcoming blows. With his attention focused on the distracting projectile heading his way, as well as his grip on his weapon. Dino only managed to spot the punch out of his peripheral vision. He tried to pull back, but he was too off-balanced to avoid Kyouya's fist, and he suffered a blow to his jaw.

A groan got caught in his throat and he grimaced, feeling the pain spread. He couldn't let his focus waver though, so Dino endured it and got his head back in the game. He kicked away the clattering tonfa that had fallen on the floor, and grabbed his student's wrist, pulling him close in a quick, rough movement before kneeing him in the gut.

With both wrists caught, one by Dino's hand and the other still tangled in the whip, dodging or blocking was impossible. Hibari suffered the full blow of the knee into his stomach. He gasped and coughed as the wind was blown out of him. As soon as he got himself reoriented, he thrust his remaining tonfa to the side of Dino's knee, ignoring the bite of the whip as he moved it. He was still gasping for breath so the blow wasn't at his full strength, but it was every bit determined as any other, and the impact was felt.

Dino hissed but didn't push the other away. Instead, he grinned sharply as he tightened his grip, using all of his strength to keep the prefect immobile. "Good, good," he said. "You know, some people say that a good policy to follow is learning when to give up."

Dino pulled Kyouya up to his feet by his wrist until they were as best face to face as they could be considering their height difference.

"I disagree," the blonde murmured, his voice rumbling tauntingly.

Hibari's lips pulled into a smirk. "Then that is something we agree on," he breathed.

Dino smiled widely at this response, and then a moment later, he was pushing the other back roughly towards the floor.

Hibari's muscles seized but he caught his balance and, as he tightened his grip on the unraveling whip and braced himself on the floor, he swung his leg out to catch Dino's ankles. When he saw the other dodge, he took the chance to lunge for his fallen tonfa.

Dino's mind raced as he focused back on the battle. He saw that Kyouya wasn't going to let go of his whip any time soon. The idea of continuing this struggle, and possibly injuring his student by straining the rough leather against the skin of his hand was unappealing, so Dino chose the lesser of two evils and let go of his whip.

Hibari suffered through a moment of confusion when the whip suddenly went limp on his wrist. He looked at it and then to Dino. He'd practically handed him his weapon. Hibari pulled it towards him and stood up, grabbing the handle and untying his wrist at the end. He dropped the tonfa, opened and closed his fingers to restart circulation. He stared at the whip curiously, keeping Dino in his vision. Hibari grabbed the whip in the way he'd seen Dino do, and aimed it at him.

Dino's eyes widened. "Wait, you're gonna—!"  _Injure yourself,_  Dino thought, but cut himself off when he saw his whip flop weakly onto the floor.

The whip didn't even snap. It fell to the floor rather limply. Hibari stared blankly at it as he realized it was harder to control than he thought.

Dino stared at his student just as blankly for a moment, blinking, before stifling a smile. "Not as easy as you thought, huh?" He extended a hand. "Interested in learning how to use it?"

Hibari turned his gaze to Dino, narrowing his eyes as he frowned. "No."

And it was true. Hibari didn't want to put in the effort of learning how to use a whip when he already had his tonfa. They were perfect. He looked at the whip in his hand and then looked back at Dino. After all that taunting he did... Well, it was time for payback.

Dino chuckled at his student's answer and watched him slowly coil his whip up. He was about to ask for it back when he saw the prefect begin to walk towards the edge of the roof.  _He wouldn't…_  the blonde thought, but his eyes widened the moment he saw his whip fly over the metal netting and down towards the ground floor.

"Oh, come on!" Dino stared at the other incredulously. "Seriously?" His jaw clenched in frustration. He considered sending Romario down to get his weapon, but honestly, Dino could use the break away from his student.

With a low grumble, Dino ordered his student to stay put and headed for the door.

Romario shook his head and smiled sympathetically as he watched him go.

Hibari smirked as he watched Dino grumble and head off to retrieve his weapon. The prefect took his time picking up his tonfa. As the seconds passed, however, he grew more and more aware of the man that remained on the roof. He had never seen Dino without this man and his curiosity was insatiable now that they were alone. With the comforting, cool weight of his tonfa back on his hands, Hibari turned around to look at the man. "Who are you?" It was less of a question and more of a demand.

Romario's eyebrow rose at the question. He was surprised he was being addressed, given that Hibari only seemed to pay attention to those he deemed worth fighting. Still, he answered easily, in a smooth, calm professional voice.

"I'm the boss' right-hand man. The name's Romario, pleased to meet you."

The moment Romario finished speaking, there was a loud noise. It sounded like someone had fallen down the stairs. Indeed, the crash was followed by a loud groan that was unmistakably Dino's.

Romario frowned and took a step towards the door.

"I'm okay!" Dino's muffled voice cried out from behind the door. After a moment, the sound of receding footsteps followed.

Romario sighed.

Hibari looked towards the door when he heard the loud collapse of Dino falling down the stairs. He tilted his head a bit. The man was normally so limber on his feet. Dismissing it, he turned back to the older man. Romario. "So you're that guy's assistant? Are you strong too?" he asked, getting straight to the question he wanted to ask the most.

Romario was not surprised by the prefect's question. In fact, he had been expecting it. But he was quick to deflect the teenager's attention off of him. "I'm no one you should concern yourself with. If you're looking to spar with someone, there's no one better to do it with than the boss. There's no use in going after an old man like me," he chuckled, giving the other a placating expression.

Hibari's eyes narrowed. True, he looked like an older man. Yet Dino also looked like a herbivore. If this guy was second-in-command to Dino, then he had to have some sort of fighting ability. "Don't patronize me." Hibari took a step forward and slipped into stance.

Romario's easygoing expression slid off his face. He took a step back and considered for a moment reaching into his jacket. There was no way he was going to shoot the kid, but perhaps if he got close enough, Romario could use the weapon to knock him out.

He'd rather not though.

"Now, now, Kyouya. There's no need for that. The boss will be here soon—"

Hibari growled. He saw the fingers twitch in a knowing way, and yet the man still refused to fight him. He had to have a weapon but he was holding back. Hibari wasn't just some kid. Was Dino holding back too? The anger flooded Hibari's body and he rushed forward without another word, gripping his tonfa and ready to strike.

Romario grimaced, and reached inside his jacket, but at that moment, the door to the roof creaked open and Dino's voice rang out. "I'm back! Shall we conti—Kyouya!"

The whistling sound of his whip flying through the air was drowned out by the loud crack that followed. Dino's whip wrapped around Hibari's ankle and pulled until the prefect was sent crashing to the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Hibari let out a grunt as he fell to the floor, and none-too-gently. Hibari snarled and looked down at the whip wrapped around his ankle. He pulled his leg closer and glared at Dino. The blonde looked furious and Hibari found himself smirking lightly. Had he finally gotten under Dino's skin? "Did I push a button?" he taunted coolly.

"You little brat." Dino's narrowed eyes glared down at his student furiously. "I'm going to curve that attitude of yours," he said, and pulled at his whip none-too-gently, making the prefect slide closer to him.

The whip gripped his ankle tighter and Hibari grunted as he slid over the concrete floor of the roof. "If you rip my uniform, I'll make you pay," Hibari growled warningly as he felt the cloth strain underneath him. He started to rotate his ankle, trying to untie the leather whip.

"You wish," Dino muttered and tightened his grip without mercy.

Romario wasn't sure whether to smile or frown at this scene, so instead he just shrugged and shook his head. "It's alright, boss. Don't let it get to you. I'm not injured."

Dino frowned. "He attacked you though."

"I'm fine," Romario affirmed.

Dino hesitated, but despite the anger he'd felt upon seeing one of his own being attacked, a sense of guilt rushed through him when he looked backed down at his student.

Though Kyouya showed no sign of remorse on his face, as Dino towered over him, he couldn't help but to grimace.  _He's just a kid,_ he reminded himself, before loosening his hold on the other and retracting his whip.

"Come on. Get up," he said. "Let's get your ankle looked at."

Hibari looked between the two and felt confusion rise in his chest. Why was his second-in-command telling him what to do? When the whip loosened from his ankle and Dino moved closer, Hibari glared at him. "I'm fine." He stood up and moved away from Dino, ignoring the friction burn that was forming on his ankle.

A quiet sigh slipped past Dino's lips.  _This attitude again…._  "Don't be stubborn. If you don't get that looked at, your injury might become worse. You won't be able to fight like that, you know."

Hibari bared his teeth at the other's words. "I'll deal with it myself. I don't need you tending me like some worried nurse." He glared at Dino hotly. "You are my enemy. You are not my friend. Get that through your thick skull."

Dino frowned and followed after the other. "Hey." He grabbed the teen's shoulder to stop him from walking any further. "Don't get any weird ideas in your head. I'm not your enemy. I'm an ally. And I'm here to help you train; that includes looking after your wellbeing."

Hibari felt a spark of anger run down his skin. Was this man stupid? How could someone this dumb be so strong? He scowled, smacked the blonde's hand from his shoulder, and aimed his tonfa at Dino's jaw.

Dino quickly leaned back to avoid the blow before grabbing his student's wrist. "Quit it." He scowled. "I'm not fighting you until you get your ankle looked at."

Hibari growled and pushed at Dino's hand. "Why do you care so much? I said I'll deal with it. Stop pushing your nose in where it doesn't belong."

Dino's jaw clenched. "Weren't you listening to a word I said!?" But despite his exasperation, Dino didn't say anything else on the matter and let him go. "God, it's like I'm talking to a brick wall," he muttered.

"You're the one not listening." Hibari walked past Dino, infuriated and needing to blow off his steam. However, according to Dino's words, he wasn't going to get that from him. So he'd have to find it somewhere else.

Dino watched him go, his muscles tight and wound up with frustration. His eyes strayed down to the injury he had caused the other and he couldn't help but to wince. That might have been a little too over the top. Still…

"Hey! For future record, my men are off limits, you hear?" he called after him.

As Hibari's fingers curled around the doorknob, he glanced back over his shoulder at Dino and held his gaze. "As long as you don't hold back when we fight, fine," he replied tonelessly before he headed inside, not bothering to listen for a response. He'd have to get the first aid kit from the nurse's office. The friction burn was stinging with sweat and he was sure it was going to bleed. Just thinking of Dino's furious expression, though, made him yearn for more. The pain was definitely worth it.

"Sheesh, this kid…" Dino huffed as he stared at the close door before him.

"Looks like Reborn-san really gave you a handful to handle this time, huh, boss?"

"Tell me about it."


	3. A Small Glimpse

Though Dino should have known better, he'd ended up thinking that Reborn couldn't make his life any more difficult, at least not at the moment. After all, how could Dino's life get any more difficult when he already had to put up with the task of training Hibari Kyouya?

As usual, he was terribly, terribly wrong to expect better from Reborn.

According to the Arcobaleno, the Varia fights were going to take place at Namimori Middle School—this meant that Dino absolutely had to get Kyouya out of the way, lest the prefect interrupt the proceedings in a drastic, unwelcome manner. Dino had, of course, already taken notice of how much his student held the school in such a high regard. He'd gotten clued in after Kyouya had threatened to bite him to death if he didn't pay for the damages he was incurring on the roof; Dino had given up complaining to the other that most of the damage had actually been caused by the black-haired teen.

Still, as irritating as it was to put up with yet another one of his student's eccentricities, Dino was at least glad that he could use this one to his advantage.

Which is how they ended up here:

"So, what do you think?" Dino asked the other as they got out of his car. "I rented the place out for today. We can rest at this inn later, whenever we get tired. As for training, we got this forest pretty much all to ourselves," he said.

Hibari got out of the car. Hibird was sitting on his shoulder, chirping quietly and fluffing up his feathers in the new, cooler air. Though Hibari had been rather grudging about the whole trip, once Dino had proven to him that it'd be better for the school, Hibari had quickly put Kusakabe in charge until he returned. If it meant fighting Dino without holding back, then he was okay with leaving Namimori for a while. Besides, it had been a long time since he had gone traveling.

"When do we start?" The prefect looked at Dino, a hint of impatience in his tone. The inn and forest before him looked nice, yes, but his purpose wasn't sightseeing.

"You're no fun at all, are you?" Dino sighed, feeling slightly disappointed. He knew this was a training trip, but a part of him had been hoping the other was as excited as he was to sightsee a bit. It wasn't often that Dino visited Japan, after all.

"Oh, well…" Dino rolled back his shoulders twice and stretched his arms a bit before getting his whip out. "If that's the way you want it, let's not waste any more time. There's still a lot left for me to teach you," he said, grinning.

Hibari smirked when Dino pulled out his whip. "Good. I'm looking forward to beating you," he said as he took out his tonfa. As he did so, Hibird fluttered up in the air and circled the air above their heads. "I'll bite you! I'll bite you!" The small bird chirped enthusiastically.

Dino's eyebrows rose. He felt a mixture of amusement and surprise at the bird's words. "Um, I've been meaning to ask… What's with the bird?" The question had been in mind since he had first gone to pick the prefect up. It was the first time Dino had met the small bird.

Hibari's expression didn't twitch at the question. He merely glanced at the bird that was flying happily up in the air. "It's my bird. His name is Hibird," he said simply.

"H-Hibird?"

 _This kid…_  Dino struggled to keep himself from laughing aloud at the name. "I see. I'm kind of surprised. I didn't see you as the type to own such a cute pet."

Hibari's hands loosened on his tonfa slightly as he lifted his hand. The yellow bird fluttered down and landed on his finger, immediately beginning a verse of the Namimori Anthem while flapping its wings enthusiastically. "Well, he is quite useful," Hibari said, sparing the small bird a fond smile.

Dino was impressed to hear the bird singing, though his earlier amusement returned once he realized it was the school anthem.  _Kyouya's really fixated on his school, huh?_ Dino's trail of thought was halted by the sight before him.  _Holy crap! He's… smiling!_

Dino gaped. He was astonished to see such a rare expression cross the surly teenager's face.  _Wow… So even he has a cute side. Heh._

Hibari tickled the bird's belly with his finger tip before looking at Dino. His eyebrows furrowed upon noticing the man gaping at him. "What are you staring at?" He frowned. Hibird fluttered up to sit on Hibari's shoulder again as the prefect dropped his arm.

"N-Nothing! It's nothing!" Dino was quick to assure him. "A-Anyway, let's get to it, then. We're losing daylight."

Hibari nodded shortly. The expression he shot Dino was derisive. "You're the one asking stupid questions. Let's go already." He gripped his tonfa and slid into stance.

Immediately after, Hibird flew up again, circling the pair high in the air as he chanted Hibari's name in high-pitched chirps. "Hibari! Hibari!"

"Right, sorry, sorry. I promise to leave the talk for later." Dino slid back into a stance of his own, as usual going into the defensive. "For now, prepare yourself, Kyouya. This isn't going to be easy."

The training session had been a success. Hibird remained perched in a tree above as the two sparred all day until they were tired, sweaty, and bruised. Though Hibari resented the fact that the fighting had to come to an end, he was at least glad to have the inn available to him. He took a bath when they got back, taking his time as he carefully tended to his bruises. He made sure he didn't swell up so he could be in perfect fighting condition tomorrow. The task made him smirk slightly—every time he lingered on a nasty bruise that had blossomed over his pale skin, he thought of that man and the injuries he'd caused him in return.

When Hibari got out, he changed into a dark blue yukata. Hibari, who had been sitting on the towel on top of Hibari's head, singing softly, fluttered up and perched on the counter as the prefect got dressed. Hibari found himself thinking of home. This was a good inn. Of that, he was glad for.

After exiting the bath, Hibari walked down the hall to the dining room with Hibird nestled into his hair.

Dino called out to him as soon as he spotted him. "Hey, Kyouya! Over here!" The blonde waved at the prefect from the spot he was sitting at. Dino, too, was also wearing a yukata, green in color. It had been tied loosely, and the sleeves had been pulled up, revealing both his tattoos and the set of bandages that were wrapped around his right arm. The blonde was sitting at the table, with Romario and Ivan at his side. The rest of his men were occupying the other tables in the dining room. Everyone was already in the middle of their meal.

Hibari turned his head at the sound of his name and frowned. The table was much too full for his tastes and there were too many people in the room. He felt uncomfortable but he knew he had to eat. Though irritated, Hibari made his way across the room, walking towards the table before sitting down. He did his best to ignore the other occupants in the room, but he didn't bother to hide his irritation. Hibird seemed to mirror its master's emotions as it ruffled its feathers with a chirping huff.

"Heh, would you look at that, Romario. The kid actually joined us," Ivan whispered to Romario in Italian.

"Haha, well, we didn't leave him much of a choice, did we?" Romario murmured back from behind his glass, hiding his twitching smile.

"True, true!"

Dino ignored his men's hushed conversation, though he couldn't help but to feel amused by it. He didn't want to tempt his student into violence, however, so he made sure to try to placate him for putting him in this situation. "Don't look so down, Kyouya! It's a beautiful night out here in the countryside, and this place has the most delicious food! Eat, eat! You got to get your strength up for tomorrow, you know!" He laughed.

Hibari looked at the two men speaking the foreign language and narrowed his eyes. He couldn't tell what it was just by listening, but he was sure that since this was the mafia, it had to be Italian.

Ignoring Dino's words completely, Hibari looked down at his food instead. He picked up his utensils but before he had a chance to dig in a small turtle came into view. It travelling across the surface of the table. Hibari stared at it, mildly confused as to where it came from.

Dino watched as Hibari paused and followed his line of view. "Ah! You noticed this guy, huh?" Smiling, he reached over to pick up his turtle, whose neck extended slightly once it was closer to his master. "His name is Enzo. I've had him for quite a long time now. He's a good companion of mine," he said with a bright smile as he set the turtle back down on the table. His thumb rubbed the top of Enzo's head for a moment, which seemed to please the turtle. But a moment later, Enzo was back to walking, slowly raising one foot after the other as it made its way to the middle of the table, where most of the food was.

Hibari looked at Dino when he spoke and nodded, before returning his gaze to the turtle as it trekked across the table again. Hibari didn't try to help it. Instead, he turned back to his own food. Hibird, on the other hand, fluttered off his head and moved to the center of the table. The bird gripped a small leaf of lettuce and flew it over to the turtle, dropping the green leaf in front of him and then landing on the table. "Hibird! Hibird!" the bird chirped. "Nice to meet you!"

Enzo seemed to pause for a moment, but he took another step forward in the next second, and happily began to chomp on the leaf in front of him.

"Whoa…" Dino exclaimed quietly, his lips stretching into a surprised, pleased grin. He leaned forward on his elbows and watched as his turtle downed his meal in small bites. "Heh. That was nice of you, Hibird. Enzo's grateful, you know," he said, addressing the bird in his turtle's stead as he picked up a bit of rice and put it on his finger, offering it to the yellow fluff ball.

His men's chattering increased in volume around the room as a result of these actions.

"Did you see that?"

"Such a beautiful bond between pets!"

"Hey, someone take a picture of this!"

"Haha, if only the bird's master was as nice as this."

Hibird happily accepted the rice from Dino's finger before fluttering off to grab another piece of lettuce for Enzo and returning to Hibari's shoulder. The prefect, however, was growing tense. Dino's men had been closing in on their table. His body stiffened as the room seemed to become much more crowded and loud than to what was his liking. He shot a glare at the men, attempting to fend them off with his murderous aura.

 _Oh, crap._ Dino noticed his student's temper boiling and quickly tried to defuse the situation. "Uh, you know what, guys? If you're all done, why don't you head off to the onsen and take a load off!" he suggested hurriedly.

"Oh! That's a good idea!"

"You're sure you'll be alright without us, boss?"

"Ah! Marco already snuck off!"

His men continued to chatter until they came to a consensus. They all began to trickle out, one by one.

"Make sure to join us later, boss!" Bono called back as he slid the door close behind him.

"Yeah, I'll meet you guys there!" Dino called after him.

As he watched the last of his men go, Dino finally slumped in relief. "That was close…" he muttered to himself.

Hibari relaxed once the room emptied. He spared a brief glance at Dino before giving his dinner his full attention. The food was good. Considering the look of this place, it wasn't surprising. The prefect let his thoughts trail off as he enjoyed his meal. The bandage on Dino's right arm made his mind wander back to their earlier fight and he began to replay the spar as he tried to pinpoint exactly when the injury had been inflicted. He found that thinking of the fight calmed him even more. The way Dino's grunts of pain echoed alongside the thwaps of weapons and fists against flesh was almost addicting. Hibari would make sure to hear it again tomorrow.

Dinner continued on in this manner. It wasn't long before Romario got up to his feet as well. "Well, I'm going to get going too, boss," Romario said, clapping Ivan's back and gesturing the man to follow him.

"Ah, same here. See ya later then!" the blonde subordinate nodded his head and lifted a hand before getting up to his feet and turning to follow after Romario.

Dino watched them go with a small smile before shaking his head and turning his attention back to his food. He hadn't finished eating yet. He was eating slowly, savoring every bite of the foreign food he had ordered.

After a while, the sound of Enzo's crunching bites and Hibird's soft chirps were not enough to prevent him from making conversation. "This is so good! We don't have anything like this in Italy," Dino remarked as he stuffed a sesame ball into his mouth. His chopsticks slipped off his fingers as he reached for another, but Dino soon fixed his grip and continued, not only to eat but to chat as well.

"Man, I'm so jealous! I haven't had the time to visit the onsen yet!" He began talking about how much he was looking forward to it, apparently completely okay with having a one-sided conversation.

Hibari continued to eat, not really paying much attention to Dino's words. They were the excited words of a tourist and Hibari just didn't care. In fact, he was pleased that he'd managed to take a bath before dinner because now, surely, it was full of Dino's men. He could see things becoming troublesome later if anyone's schedule decided to change. He decided to eliminate that possibility now. "I'm going to take baths before dinner," he said curtly. "Tell your men to take theirs after."

Dino faltered at the interruption and was simultaneously amused and exasperated by the demand, but he didn't say anything aside from making a small sound of agreement. By now, he knew that arguing with the other was a pointless task. Still, he considered it a victory that the prefect had finally broken his silence and tried to engage him in conversation.

"Ah, that's right. We'll have to get up a bit early tomorrow. We're heading up to the mountains. It'll be good to get accustomed to fighting in a place with high-altitude. We won't stay there long though. There's a couple of other places I'd like to take you to this week. Reborn suggested we stop by the bamboo forests up north and train there too. Don't worry about the accommodations though. We've got it all covered, so food and board are a given," he assured him.

Hibari made no intention to respond. It was clear he had no interest in conversation and nerely relished in the silence of the emptier room. He placed a small ball of rice in his mouth before picking up a smaller little ball, only a few grains big, and gave it to Hibird who happily ate it. After a little while, he even took a bean sprout off of his plate and placed it in front of Enzo as well. He patted the turtle's head with his finger before returning to his dinner.

Dino's chatter trailed off again as he saw his student's cute side resurface. Enzo happily leaned into the prefect's touch before turning his attention to the bean sprout in front of him. Dino smiled as he watched his turtle devour the food in front of him. His gaze trailed back towards his student though, and for the second time that day, he felt baffled. He couldn't believe that this battle maniac had a soft spot for small animals. It did not match with any part of the prefect's personality… but Dino guessed there was more to him than he showed.  _Probably, anyway…_  Dino thought, stifling a laugh.

As the two continued their meal in relative quietness, Dino had to admit to himself that he was beginning to enjoy himself.

 _This isn't all that bad_ , the blonde decided.

Hibari set down his bowl once he was done and let out a soft sigh. The dinner had been satisfying. Not like home, of course, but still good. Hibird was dozing softly on his shoulder and Hibari let out a yawn of his own, covering his mouth. He turned to look at Dino, opening his mouth to let him know he was going to head to bed, when he saw the mess that the man had created in front of him. The sight of all the spilled food on the table made Hibari's lip curl in slight disgust. He stood up and decided to leave without any risk of conversation.

"Oh! You're done already?" Dino looked up in time to see the prefect walk off. His student didn't even spare him a glance! As he watched the door close behind his student, Dino sighed loudly.

"And here I was thinking he had a cute side and all… He's still a total brat," he muttered to himself.

After finishing his own meal, Dino pushed his plate away and got up to his feet. He picked up Enzo, and after dropping him off in his room, Dino headed to the onsen. He spent the entire night chatting with his men and relaxing. Though it was hard to completely let go of his pressing worries regarding the upcoming battles, Dino allowed himself to enjoy himself for once. His body appreciated the warm water that was easing the aches that had seeped into his body, as well as the dull buzz he'd acquired after downing a pair of beers. After a while though, Dino finally got up and murmured his goodbyes. Though he knew his men would stay up drinking well into the early hours in the morning, Dino had to turn in if he wanted to be alert for tomorrow's training session.

The next few days were certainly going to challenging.


	4. Mano a Mano

"Careful there. I warned you to watch your footing already, didn't I?" Dino dodged the upcoming blows before reciprocating with a couple of his own. "You know, the whole point of this training is to get you used to fighting in different types of terrain. Don't just lunge at me so suddenly. Be more aware of your surroundings."

It wasn't the first time Dino had given this lecture, but he was having a hard time getting his student to follow his advice.

Hibari glared at the man. He'd had a good morning so far but Dino's constant lecturing and talking just pissed him off. If he had time to talk, he was neglecting his fighting. He was holding back. "Just shut up," he growled and ignored Dino's words yet again. It was true, fighting on the loose forest floor was definitely different than the concrete school roof, but he could handle it. He was getting used to it. He didn't need Dino to tell him what to do.

"There's that attitude again…" Dino sighed, but he let the issue go and turned his focus back on their sparring session. Though their new training ground definitely made things more difficult, there was no denying that Kyouya was improving in leaps and bounds. In fact, in the past couple of fights, Dino had been actually forced to stop holding back entirely in order to keep up with his student. He hadn't yet gone all out at full power… but Dino would not be surprised if things eventually got to that point. And though he wasn't going to admit it to anyone, Dino actually keen on the idea. He was beginning to anticipate their training sessions now, not just because of his desire to help his allies, but also because it was starting to be fun. Kyouya was proving himself to be an interesting adversary. The kid's ingenuity and sheer willpower made up for his lack of experience. Dino looked forward to the day where the latter point wasn't even an issue.

For now though, Dino had to continue doing his part in teaching the stubborn kid.

The two continued to fight for a long while. Dino could feel himself sweating, and he was thankful he had already discarded his jacket a long while ago. Not for the first time, Dino wondered how his student could put up fighting in this heat [V1] while wearing his uniform. The teen's white shirt was sticking to his skin, and Dino grimaced in sympathy. Just looking at him made him feel hotter.  _Does he even have other clothes?_  Dino hadn't seen him wear anything else other than the yukata the inns had provided them.

"Whoa!"

Dino's idle thoughts came to a stop as he narrowly avoided another blow. He needed to stop getting distracted. It would be embarrassing if he finally got beat just because he wasn't paying attention.

Still… Dino wished he could do something about this heat[V2] . The sound of the trickling river nearby made him long for a swim. There was no way Kyouya would agree to that though.

Maybe if he led them there? It was worth a try.

The heat [V3] was stifling but Hibari made sure to push himself harder. He ignored the temperature. He ignored the uncomfortable way his uniform stuck to his body, and the way his hair stuck to his forehead as sweat began to drip. The humidity [V4] of the forest was taking its toll, but Hibari pushed on. He forced himself to remain at a normal pace, to appear as if the heat had had no effect on him. He clenched the weapons tighter, his grip compensating for the sweat making the handles slip under his fingers. But when he saw Dino's eyes wander, Hibari didn't need to push. His anger rose and he let out a ferocious growl. The man was distracted. "Pay attention!" he snapped as he rushed right back into his face, keeping close and moving fast.

"Oh, man," Dino muttered and held back a wince as the weapon graced a blow against his cheek. So much for that plan… Kyouya was way too into this right now for Dino to risk messing around. He turned his attention back on the fight, at least until he came up with another great idea.

"I think it's about we start changing things up," Dino said, and that was the only warning he gave before his whip wrapped around his student's tonfa. He pulled on them with all his strength and watched in satisfaction as they slid off the prefect's hands and over Dino's head. Dino heard a loud splash behind him a second later, indicating where they had fallen.

Dino smiled, and while keeping a careful eye on his incensed student, he coiled his whip up and stored it away. "How about we try doing this mano a mano for once? You won't always have your weapons available to you, you know."

When his tonfa were pulled from his grip, slipped out with the aid of his sweat, Hibari scowled. He watched his precious tonfa fall into the river and turned his gaze back to glare at Dino. Hibari huffed indignantly at Dino's words, but he had to appreciate the difference between fighting with his weapons and with his fists. While the tonfa always gave him extra destructive power, Hibari couldn't deny the personal pleasure bare fists inspired. Feeling the flesh underneath his fingers, the teeth chattering strength of punches connecting... It had its charm.

"Fine." Hibari didn't waste much time. He was curious as to what Dino's strength was without his whip. The curiosity made him eager. So he rushed forward again, aiming a punch for his stomach.

 _Heh, he's as hasty usual,_ Dino thought with the beginnings of a fond smile as he saw the other rush at him. He dodged the blow and waited for an opening before throwing a fist of his own, and off they went. The two of them traded blows at a quick pace, neither of them hesitating for a moment as they got into it. After dodging another punch, Dino aimed a roundhouse kick to the other's jaw.

Hibari saw the kick coming and was quick to duck, though he felt Dino's heel graze the top of his head. He reached up and rammed the heel of his hand into the side of the blonde's knee cap before he straightened to drive his heel straight into Dino's sternum.

Dino grunted, but he didn't let the blow mess with his momentum. He knocked the approaching leg down with a quick jab before stepping back. He watched the other attentively as he waited for his student's next move.

Hibari quickly caught his balance and let out a couple pants before he ran forward again. He aimed a fist to Dino's nose, not caring for any lasting damage he could cause.

Dino leaned back slightly to avoid the blow, but quickly grabbed the approaching arm and pulled. Without letting go of his arm, he stepped to the side as his student's body fell forward. He twisted the captive arm behind the prefect's back before roughly slamming the teenager against a nearby tree. Dino used this moment to take a breather, though he made sure not to give Kyouya any leeway as he tightened his grip on him. "Had enough yet?" Dino teased with a quiet chuckle, feeling exhilarated. Adrenaline was rushing through him. He could feel his heart pounding as a result of their spar.

Hibari grunted as he was shoved face-first into a tree. He gripped the tree trunk in front of him as his arm bent painfully behind him. Hibari was on his toes in order to alleviate pain. He growled and turned his head. "Not nearly enough." He glared at Dino, trying to struggle free.

Dino grinned at the response. "In that case, how about we start our next lesson?" The blonde tightened his grip on the pale arm firmly, making sure to steadily keep his student in the same position. "You're at quite a disadvantage right now. You've lost control of one of your limbs, and your feet are no use to you while you're hanging like this. How are you going to get out of this situation?" he asked, putting on a lecturing tone.

Hibari scowled as Dino spoke. He still couldn't understand why Dino insisted upon calling himself his teacher when all Hibari wanted to do was beat him into a bloody pulp. Regardless, it didn't look like the blonde was going to let go, so Hibari took a moment and thought about his situation. He'd never been pinned like this before but he had a free arm so... Hibari reached back with his free arm, grabbed hold of Dino's hair, and gave it a rough yank.

Dino hissed in pain and instinctually followed the pull in order to alleviate his pain. The short distance between them only got closer. Dino's chest was nearly pressing against Kyouya's back. The only obstacles between them were their arms. Despite the sudden jerk forward though, Dino's hold on the other didn't lessen. In fact, it tightened into a vice-like grip. "Not bad," he grunted. "Resourceful," he complimented the other, grimacing. "But it looks like we're still at a stalemate," Dino said.

Hibari grinned at the position they were in, finding it weirdly amusing. Dino could dislocate his shoulder with another yank and Hibari could cause him excruciating pain with another one of his. They were, indeed, in a stalemate. "Looks like it," Hibari said as he twisted his wrist a bit, pulling the hair more and enjoying the grimace of pain on Dino's face.

Dino's teeth clenched, but he smiled through his pain. "Wrong answer, my dear student," he breathed, and a moment later, his free hand reached up to clamp onto Kyouya's wrist. He began trying to dislodge the prefect's hold on his hair. "You should become a little bit more self-aware of your surroundings. Losing your touch?" he taunted as his blunt nails dug into the prefect's skin.

Hibari grimaced but tightened his grip as hard as he could, his knuckles going white with the strength he was exerting. "Shut up. You won't make me let you go like this." He tightened and twisted his hand, pulling more and attempting to disorient him.

Dino had expected as much. Still, he couldn't help but to ask, muttering through clenched teeth, "You sure? I promise to let you go if you do first."

Hibari growled and smirked incredulously. "I'm not so gullible."

"Heh, I guess that's a good thing. I was being serious though," Dino said before sighing. "Oh, well." And with that, Dino jarred his student's footing by dislodging his straining toes with a sweep of his feet. In the second that it took Kyouya to react to this, Dino used his opportunity to throw his head back, and though he lost a couple of hairs in the process, Dino managed to tear himself away from his student's grip. Dino didn't let go of either of Kyouya's arms however. Instead, he was quick to flip his student around. He pinned the prefect's struggling arms above his head and made sure to lift him up again until his toes were barely grazing the ground.

A second passed after the struggle, and as Dino looked into his student's furious glare, he grinned. "Looks like it's your loss today, huh, Kyouya?"

The one reason Hibari kept Dino around was that he was strong. He was smart too. Hibari could appreciate that about him. That didn't mean he had to like it though. Adrenaline was rushing through Hibari's veins as he thrashed a couple times, trying to pull his arms out of Dino's grip. He was sure he was getting a few splinters from the tree in his arms but he didn't care right now. "We're not finished," he snarled in return. He refused to admit defeat here.

"No?" Dino could feel Kyouya's pulse throbbing underneath his thumbs. His own was racing a mile a second. What a rush. Kyouya's continued defiance, his determination to win even when he was in such a disadvantageous position, and the violent glint in his eyes made Dino all the more excited to continue as well. "Well," he murmured as a wide smirk crossed his lips. "I wouldn't mind going at it for a bit longer either."

"Ahem."

Romario's cough broke through the rising tension that had been simmering to a boil. Dino felt a moment of disorientation, and he glanced over to the side to spot Romario with his arms crossed over his chest, frowning at him disapprovingly.  _So much for berating Kyouya for not paying attention to his surroundings,_ Dino thought with a slight wince. He shot his right-hand man a small smile, but Romario's frown merely deepened.

"Don't you think it's about time for us to get back, boss?"

Dino's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but that's when his mind finally caught up. He turned to stare back at his student, his eyes immediately focusing on the prefect's flushed, angry face, and that's when he became completely aware of the position they were in. Suddenly, Romario's frown made so much more sense.

Dino quickly let go and backed away from the other. "Oh. Um. Yeah, you're totally right!" Dino laughed with embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck as he avoided looking at anyone's eyes. "We should stop now. It's getting late!" he exclaimed.

Dino's eyes, his voice, everything captivated him. Strength was oozing from his every pore. Dino had become this pillar of something that Hibari had never seen. Hibari's heart was hammering harder and harder and he was sure it had to be due the rush of the fight, the thrill of victory dancing away from his fingers, and the determination to grip onto it again. However, when Dino turned away, the illusion broke, and all Hibari could feel was rage.

The moment he was released, Hibari growled. His shoulders rose and fell as he panted angrily, and after a second, he rushed forward, paying Romario no mind. "I said we're not finished," he growled lowly, throwing kicks and punches, trying to get Dino fighting again.

Dino's head snapped up and his eyes widened as he saw his student lunge in his direction, enraged. "Whoa! Hey!" Dino quickly got back into the pace, and he spent the next couple of seconds blocking and dodging. Kyouya wasn't giving him any openings though. His attacks came on too fast.

"Dammit, listen to me already!" Dino finally snapped, suddenly annoyed. After dodging another blow, Dino lunged forward and grabbed onto his student's shirt. The white fabric wrinkled up under his grip, and Dino pulled the prefect forward, using the forming momentum to fall back. As Dino's back hit the floor, his legs rose, and after letting go of Kyouya's shirt, Dino hoisted the other's stomach with his feet before kicking him off, over him.

The resounding splash that followed drowned out Dino's huff. "Cool off already, will ya?" he muttered.

The movement was too smooth, too well executed, to break out of. Before he knew it, Hibari had been tossed backwards. Cold suddenly jarred his senses as he fell into the river. He scrambled underwater as shock settled coldly into his bones before he swam up and broke the surface with a gasp.

Hibari headed towards the shore and pulled himself out of the river. His uniform was soaked and weighing him down. He couldn't fight like this. Sweat was one thing. Completely drenched was another. "You..." He glared at Dino. If he was any angrier, the water would have probably started evaporating off of him in clouds of steam.

Dino was already back on his feet. He ran a hand through his hair as he waited for Kyouya to resurface, and upon hearing that threatening tone, the blonde grimaced. "Just let it go for today, Kyouya," he began, but he ended up trailing off as his wary gaze froze on the sight before him. Kyouya's smoldering glare sent that usual rush of adrenaline coursing through him, but it was the sight of those translucent clothes, which were now sticking snugly to his student's body as water dripped off him, that made him pause uncomfortably.

Dino could already feel Romario's eyes boring into him. A sharp sense of guilt and confusion shot right through him. Dino quickly forced his expression to look neutral, and continued to talk in a steady, firm tone.

"Training is over for today. Protest all you like, but we're heading back now."

Hibari was looking down the river towards where he remembered his tonfa falling in. He scowled. There was no more fighting for today. He knew that much. Fighting while soaked wasn't a good idea, especially since if he didn't dry off, he'd surely get a cold. But he didn't want to lose his tonfa. So he got up and walked over to Dino, his shoes sloshing with every step. He got right in front of Dino and glared up at him. "Get your men to find my tonfa. If I don't have them back by dinner, I'll make sure you regret it." He then turned and stalked off towards the inn.

Hibird came down from one of the trees and flew around Dino's head. "I'll bite you! I'll bite you!" the tiny bird threatened before it flew after the prefect.

Dino looked off to the side and didn't answer. It was only when he was sure the other had gone when he finally managed the will to speak.

"Romario—" he began, but he was immediately cut off.

"We'll find them," his right-hand man answered curtly, his tone indicating that there was no need for further discussion.

Dino frowned. "Right…"

 

* * *

 

Dino's men did find Hibari's tonfa in time. Dino wasn't there to see them delivered personally though, having holed himself up in his room for the remainder of the evening the moment he had returned to the inn. He hadn't even bothered to stop by for food, something he was regretting now, despite the fact that his stomach felt more nauseous than hungry at the moment. He couldn't seem to get his head straight and felt annoyed. For a moment, he considered stepping out of his room. A calming walk around the grounds might be just what he needed… but the idea of bumping into people—and he most certainly would—made the whole thing less appealing. He wasn't up to see anyone, much less his student, whom was currently the very source of his problems.

 _What was **that**  about?_ Dino wondered for the umpteenth time as he pressed his palms against his closed eyes tiredly. He kept replaying today's training session in his head, and then every other session he'd had with his student. He felt paranoid, and couldn't help but to want to reexamine every one of their encounters as if by doing so he would find an explanation—anything that would help him figure out what had happened today, or what had led to it. But the more he thought about it all, the more confused and conflicted he felt.  _Romario's just panicking;_ that was the conclusion Dino eventually came to. After all, if it hadn't been for his right-hand man, Dino would have never become aware that there was anything wrong. Not that anything was wrong. All Dino had done was spar. He hadn't had any nefarious intentions when he had decided to switch to hand-to-hand combat, and it was only natural for them to end up in that position. He certainly hadn't planned for it. It had just happened!

Dino's nails dug into his scalp as he tried to reassure himself that he wasn't making excuses. His hands slid down to cover the entirety of his face, and he breathed a tired, muffled sigh through his nose. He tried to push this whole situation out of his mind, but his guilt was nagging him, and he just couldn't seem to stop. The haunting recollection of his afternoon's training session kept badgering his every thought. He tried to wave away the surfacing image of his student panting and flushed as Dino pressed him up against the tree trunk, but it was as if that very moment was burned into his mind. Despite all of his internal protests, in the end, Dino just couldn't stop thinking about the way that smoldering glare bore hotly into him, nor the rush of excitement he had felt as he gripped on tightly to the struggling body. Though the memory of how his long fingers had easily wrapped around those pale, thin wrists unsettled him, he couldn't help but to wonder what would have happened had they continued uninterrupted. Dino could almost picture himself taunting his student with a wide smirk, murmuring into his ear as he pressed in closer. " _How are you going to get out of this now?"_ he would say as he pinned Kyouya's legs together, pressing his own knees at either side of his student's thighs to prevent them from kicking him, as surely they would.

Dino felt a jolt of nausea course through him, and he focused on that feeling instead of the niggling rush of attraction that had surfaced alongside it.  _Stop it,_ he berated himself, growling, before getting up to his feet. He began to pace around the room.

 _He's a kid!_ Dino reminded himself.  _I am not attracted to him!_  he assured himself fiercely. Dino's hands clenched at his sides as he determinately stopped himself from even considering that he was. "I don't even like men, much less  _kids_ ,"he murmured to himself, in a low contemptuous tone. After letting out another long sigh, Dino stopped still and tried to remind himself of the type of people he  _was_  attracted to. Long, wavy hair that was soft to the touch. Curving, red-tinted lips, hiding a brilliant smile. The smooth sound of a woman's voice laughing easily as she clung to his arm, her pretty painted nails trailing a long path down his arm, tracing the lines of his tattoos.

Dino's relief was shattered as his mind's eye flickered to the memory of those soft, Japanese features marred by that angry, snarling expression. It was so easy to picture—to recall, really—the way Kyouya's lips pulled back to reveal his sharp, threatening teeth.

_"I'll bite you to death."_

Dino growled and drove his fist hard against the wall next to him in a fury. He focused on the throbbing pain and glared a hole into the floor as he stood there, heaving.

A moment later, Dino stormed off and went to take a long, painfully cold shower.

 

* * *

 

Hibari picked up his tonfa from the man's hands and nodded in thanks. They were wet and dirty. Now that he was clean and dry himself, he paid the same attention to his precious weapons. He sat down on the floor and began to meticulously clean his tonfa, taking them apart, draining out the river water, drying, polishing, and fixing the handle with a new rubber grip he'd gotten from his bag. All the while, Hibird sang, providing perfect background noise.

He was done by dinner time, and after storing his tonfa away, Hibari stood up, his hands tucked into his yukata sleeves. Hibird flew down to sit on his shoulder, cleaning its feathers. When he arrived at the dining hall, he glanced around. Dino was nowhere to be seen. Hibari's eyebrows furrowed and he walked over to where Romario was sitting. "Where's your boss?" he asked with a frown as he looked down at him.

Romario looked up, pausing the hushed conversation he'd been having with Bono. He frowned at the question. "… I imagine he's in his room," he answered carefully, staring at the prefect with a thoughtful, calculating expression. "I don't think he'll be joining us tonight."

Hibari's frown deepened at the answer and he looked towards the door of the dining hall as if expecting Dino would enter at any time, apologizing for his lateness. But when he didn't, he looked back at Romario and nodded. He walked off and sat at an empty table to eat on his own. Hibird sat in front of his plate and ate the rice that was offered to him, chirping softly between bites. Hibari was curious, but he figured that Dino had work to do. The blonde had better be ready for their next training session tomorrow.


End file.
